T’ang, Pinyin Tang, also called (Wade-Giles romanization ) Ch’eng-t’ang, or Ta-i, or T’ien-i ( flourished 18th century BCT’ang, personal name (xingming) Zi Lü, temple name (miaohao) Taiyi, also called Chengtang, or Tianyi ( flourished 17th–16th century? BCreign name of the Chinese emperor who overthrew the Hsia dynasty Xia dynasty (c. 2070–c. 1600 BC) and founded the Shang, the first historical dynasty ( traditionally dated 1766–1122 BC; some modern scholars believe it lasted from the mid-16th to the mid-11th century BCc. 1600–1046 BC, though the dating of the Shang—and hence also of the Tang emperor’s founding of it—have long been the subject of much debate).

As a historical figure, T’ang Tang was apparently a scion of a noble family. According to legend, he was a descendant of the mythical sage-king the Yellow Emperor (Huang TiHuangdi (the “Yellow Emperor”). T’ang Tang is also said to have revolted against the evil last ruler of the Hsia Xia dynasty after reading on the shell of a tortoise a prophecy that he would do so.

Revered as a humane and generous ruler, T’ang Tang is said to have offered himself as a sacrifice to Heaven during a drought. Rain fell before the ceremony ended, however, and he was spared. He is usually represented as a nine-foot-tall, white-faced, whiskered man with a pointed head, six-jointed arms, and a body markedly larger on one side than on the other.